Penn State Behrend Softball Takes Two Behind Stellar Pitching

The Penn State Behrend softball team got stellar pitching and plenty from its batters as the blue and white took two games from AMCC rival Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday, March 31 at the Behrend Field.

The blue and white would open up the scoring in the bottom of the second when Katie Whitby (Tyrone/Tyrone) would single to load the bases.  Allison Babish (Coraopolis/Montour) would eat up the shortstop and drive in a run to put the Behrend Lions up 1-0. 

The blue and white would lead off the bottom of the fourth with three consecutive singles. Whitby and Babish both reached on great bunts.  Ashley Gruber (Burton, OH/Berkshire)  would crush a ball up the middle to drive in Whitby and move Babish to second.  Maddie Wieser (Erie/Collegiate Academy) then stepped to the plate and drove in two more runs in to put the Behrend Lions up 7-0.

The blue and white would play solid defense behind senior pitcher Julie Koman (McKees Rocks/Montour).  Koman provided the type of effort that has been typical over her career as she ended up pitching a complete-game with six strikeouts earning a 7-1 win.

In game two the blue and white would jump on the Panthers scoring four runs in the bottom of the first on five hits.  With runners on second and third Nikki Kaschauer (South Park/South Park) would drive in two runners to put the Behrend Lions up 2-0.  The blue and white would plate two more runners to make it 4-0. 

Behrend got five more runs across the plate, but the story of game two was freshman pitcher Emma Hahn (Smethport/Smethport) who fired her second no-hitter of the season as Behrend won 9-0.  Hahn pitched five innings, firing seven strikeouts.  Hahn who also pitched a no-hitter last week against the Medaille Mavericks, now has 38 strikeouts in 25 innings of work this season.

Behrend (11-4, 5-0) travels to Hiram for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday before returning to host AMCC opponent Pitt-Bradford in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 4.